Narrative:

Over ZZZZ airspace; radio called and relayed a message from ZZZZ tower that we might have left some tire debris on the runway. We did not hear or feel anything at takeoff. We tried to get more information from ZZZZ tower; but couldn't. We were treating it like a blown tire. Contacted dispatch and told them of our problem. Asked him to call ZZZ to get maintenance and a tow team ready. Contacted flight attendants and briefed them on the problem. We would not do a full emergency landing and evacuate/evacuation checklist; but would have emergency equipment. Be prepared to do the 30 second review and keep the passenger on the aircraft even if we have further problems until I can assess the situation. On descent a flight attendant called and said a passenger passed him a note saying we had a hole in the left aileron. We then thought it might be on the left side; but still weren't sure. Declared an emergency with approach and had the equipment standing by. We landed uneventfully. Fire rescue checked the aircraft and confirmed we had a blown left main truck single tire failure and no other damage or fire noted. We taxied off the runway and got towed to the gate. Found a large hole near the wing root over the #6 tire; with flap and hydraulic line damage. The tire tread had separated with the tire still inflated.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 FLT CREW EXPERIENCES LOSS OF LEFT MAIN GEAR TIRE TREAD; CAUSING DAMAGE TO LEFT WING. LAND UNEVENTFULLY AT DESTINATION WITH CFR STANDING BY.

Narrative: OVER ZZZZ AIRSPACE; RADIO CALLED AND RELAYED A MESSAGE FROM ZZZZ TWR THAT WE MIGHT HAVE LEFT SOME TIRE DEBRIS ON THE RWY. WE DID NOT HEAR OR FEEL ANYTHING AT TKOF. WE TRIED TO GET MORE INFO FROM ZZZZ TWR; BUT COULDN'T. WE WERE TREATING IT LIKE A BLOWN TIRE. CONTACTED DISPATCH AND TOLD THEM OF OUR PROB. ASKED HIM TO CALL ZZZ TO GET MAINT AND A TOW TEAM READY. CONTACTED FLT ATTENDANTS AND BRIEFED THEM ON THE PROB. WE WOULD NOT DO A FULL EMER LNDG AND EVAC CHKLIST; BUT WOULD HAVE EMER EQUIP. BE PREPARED TO DO THE 30 SECOND REVIEW AND KEEP THE PAX ON THE ACFT EVEN IF WE HAVE FURTHER PROBS UNTIL I CAN ASSESS THE SITUATION. ON DSCNT A FLT ATTENDANT CALLED AND SAID A PAX PASSED HIM A NOTE SAYING WE HAD A HOLE IN THE L AILERON. WE THEN THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE ON THE L SIDE; BUT STILL WEREN'T SURE. DECLARED AN EMER WITH APCH AND HAD THE EQUIP STANDING BY. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. FIRE RESCUE CHKED THE ACFT AND CONFIRMED WE HAD A BLOWN L MAIN TRUCK SINGLE TIRE FAILURE AND NO OTHER DAMAGE OR FIRE NOTED. WE TAXIED OFF THE RWY AND GOT TOWED TO THE GATE. FOUND A LARGE HOLE NEAR THE WING ROOT OVER THE #6 TIRE; WITH FLAP AND HYD LINE DAMAGE. THE TIRE TREAD HAD SEPARATED WITH THE TIRE STILL INFLATED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.